What's It Like Being A Writer?

 

A writer lady watches as her cats sit on a window sill and study a bird during the final moments of daylight. She walks through her home checking doors and windows. She closes the blinds. Turning off the television, she walks into her writing room, High Command. Stepping in front of the window, the wall falls away, as she turns to look behind her, she hears someone calling.

“Mom?”

Turning her attention to its source, Writer Lady finds Dobby Cat, her beloved ginger tabby in the yard waiting. “Come On Mom. The party’s over here.”

Night has fallen. A large white circus tent stands in the yard. Catching up with Dobby Cat, the pair walk up the path past torches on poles. Pixies flutter in the air surrounding her as kittens weave around her feet.

A fire eater releases a brilliant blaze as she reaches the tent. He holds the flap open for her inviting Writer Lady to enter. She looks at Dobby Cat with a quizzical  expression.

“Diomedes made a new friend.” He explains.

She nods.

The interior of the tent is alive with all of her characters. She sees Furnatche, a baby dragon. Carp, the retired romance novelist turned assassin-in-training. Carp's weapon of choice, a crossbow, not the best weapon for a man who suffers from carpal tunnel. Tinkletoes, a self-proclaimed mercenary who works for baked goods and lives to kill ninja-zombies and space aliens. Aunt Purdy and the twins, Peter and Paige along with little Dylan. Diomedes, the most courteous dragon one could ever hope to meet stands next to Ray, a junk food loving insomniac who has clearly been out in the sun waaaaaay too long. Calliope- The Lady In Waiting with her vibrant red tresses is talking to The Lady With The Long Golden Hair, her beloved champion, Pirate stands close at hand. Writer Lady spots The World Famous Faraday, the much loved but generally overlooked gumshoe of her most recent story, standing along a tent wall. When the mysterious Wild Card enters her field of vision with Wise Woman, Writer Lady wonders if he ever settled on a first name. Standing in the middle of it all Tony Johnson, Window Weather Woman is the circus ring master. Tony is currently reading the names of Writer Lady’s characters off a scroll that grows longer with each passing moment.

Scotch?

The spy holds up a glass from the bleachers.

Pen?

Scotch’s partner, who is sitting next to Scotch, nods at Tony.

Francesca?

A stunningly beautiful blonde assassin in a flattering black dress and blood red Jimmy Choo heels raises a hand.

Daemon?

A demon with a large pair of longhorn antlers releases a high pitched sound.

Tony reads more quickly no longer waiting for a response.

TP?

Pixie One?

Pixie Too?

Vin?

Ernest?

Trudy?

Tessa?

Charity?

Monique?

Kelly?

Pin-Up Man?

Mr. Sweets?

Ty? Ty Betterman?

Tony, looks up from the scroll at all of the bodies in the tent. “Am I ever going to be done with this?” She asks. Noticing movement in her peripheral vision Tony looks down to find Dylan with a box of fireworks. “Where are you going with that?”

“Out front.” The boy responds.

Tony looks at the entrance of the tent just as the fire eater exhales another blast of heat. She looks at the boy. “No Baby. No. You are not taking those fireworks to the entrance. The fire eater is not your personal lighter.”

“What good is fire eating if you don’t torch anything?” Tinkletoes asks as he bites into a cupcake.

“Dude is right.” Ray agrees. “Fire eaters should light stuff.”

Tony looks at all three and says. “No Babies. No.” She takes custody of the box, without looking at who is accepting it from her, she hands it over to TP.

The faerie who is well known for his mischief sits the box on the ground and with a bit of magic lights up the entire lot creating an explosion of color and sound within the tent. The ceiling of the tent burns away revealing Aurora Borealis moving along a star filled sky. Fireflies, faeries and pixies flutter into the tent from above, flying in every direction.

Music begins to play and everyone gets moving. The ring quickly fills with dancers, crowding the weather woman out. Writer Lady and Dobby Cat find their way through the crowd and greet Tony.

Tony looks around. “There sure is a whole lot going on here.”

Writer Lady nods.

“It’s a real bear to organize.” The weather woman observes. “How many more characters do you have up there?” She asks pointing to Writer Lady’s head.

Writer Lady’s eyes grow big, she’s afraid to answer.

Diomedes does it for her. “A writer’s imagination is infinite.” The dragon says as he approaches.

“This crowd is going to keep growing? Forever?” Tony asks. “I barely made a dent in the list as it is.”

Diomedes nods. “It will continue to grow for as long as Writer Lady is with us.”

Tony Johnson pales, “I don’t know how many more I can handle. Where did that bitch with the high heels go?” She asks looking around. “She knows how to kill people.”

Writer Lady looks at Tony, “And I’m standing right here.”

“Then I guess you won’t be surprised when old High Heels comes for you will you now?”

What’s it like being a writer? It’s like hanging out with a bunch of circus performers, when they’re at a rave.

The fire eater enters the tent and releases a blast of fire in front of Writer Lady.

Welcome to my world.